By: Peggy Lehman, Carmel, IN; 6/15/1997

Purpose:

In order to enable students to become better informed and to encourage an interest in global current events, a series of Internet news searches will be performed as a class project.

Grade Level: 6-12

Geography Standards addressed: (all 18 Geography Standards are touched through this activity)

• #1) How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
• #2) How to use mental maps to organize information about peoples, places, and environments on Earth’s surface.
• #3) How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places and environments on Earth’s surface.
• #4) The physical and human characteristics of places.
• #8) The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth’s surface.
• #11) The patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth’s surface.
• #12) The processes, patterns and functions of human settlement.
• #16) The changes that occur in the meaning, distribution, use and importance of resources.
• #17) How to use geography to interpret the past.
• #18) How to use geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.

Items Needed:

• 1. Computer with Internet connections.
• 2. Current Event form (teacher created)
• 3. Student Calendar (teacher created) 

Objectives:

Upon completion of this (year-long) activity, students will be able to ...

1. analyze current news information of a particular geographic area or country,

2. practice Internet search skills, and

3. present information in front of their colleagues for discussion.

Procedure:

1. Create a student calendar to assign individual students a day to obtain current events through the CNN web site: the Washington Post web site, the Time Magazine web site, or any other appropriate web site which highlights current events.

2. During class time, allow the student assigned for the day 5-10 minutes of time to use the computer to find a current event. Their current event may be from the area currently under study or another county.

3. The student is then to fill out a form with such information as their name, class period, date, web site used, and the "what", "where", "when" and "who" of the situation.

4. Pick a day for student discussion of the week’s current events. This could evolve into class debates, writing assignments, etc. For example, Friday for about fifteen to twenty minutes, students discussthe current events of the week as a class.

Evaluation:

1. Student submit a completed current event form before class discussion for grade.

2. Students engage in appropriate class discussion for participation grade.